RPOV

I sat on my couch with my laptop propped up on my lap. The TV was playing a Disney movie that I couldn't quite make out. The house that I was in looked like something out of a Pottery Barn Magazine. The sofa I was on was plush and brown suade. The hardwood floors were covered by a fuzzy, pale green carpet that looked like it was happily walked on, and there were four, dark wood book shelves lining one wall. Books and photos littered the shelves. A window was beside me and showed me that I was in the woods. It looked magical.

The serene calm of the oasis was shattered when two piercing screams followed by laughter erupted from down the hall. I moved the laptop to the glass coffee table and I followed the screaming until I came to a room that was obviously a boy's. Tan walls with splashes of red, blue, and green paint held a twin sized bed, a dresser, and a bookshelf inside. Toys and action figures covered the carpet.

"Mommy!" A little girl's squeal broke through to my ears.

I looked over to the bed to see little arms and legs kicking around a huge body of a man who had his back to me.

"Mommy! Get Daddy off!" the little girl yelled again laughing.

"Mommy can't save you now, Lana!" The man growled playfully.

I froze for a moment. Dimitri was in this room, playing with two children that were calling me mommy and him daddy. A huge smile broke over my face as this realization settled into my mind.

I snuck up closer to Dimitri and peered over his shoulder. A boy with dark brown hair and matching eyes was trying to pry his father's hand off his tummy as he was being tickle. His sister, Lana, had long, curly, hair that matched mine, but eyes that were her grandmother's. She had given up fighting her dad's tickling hand and was laughing so hard she was crying.

Catching my son's eye, I put a finger to my lips to tell him to be quiet. I reached down and started to tickle Dimitri's soft spot under his ribs. I felt his jump at the sudden contact and he rolled back on top of me. I moved and straddled his waist so I was on top of him tickling him. The kids jumped off the bed and joined me as we ganged up on Dimitri laughing.

Dimitri's laugh rumbled deep and loud as his family piled onto him. Lana's was sharp and piercing like bells that were being rung too hard, but god it was precious. My son's laugh was that of a ten-year-old; loud, deeper than his sister's, yet still childish. Then mine was thrown into the mix and the sound that our voices made was bliss to me. I wanted to relish in this moment forever.

Soon, the kids fell off Dimitri tired and worn out from the excitement. I stayed on Dimitri but I laid my head down on his chest and curled up into him. He wrapped his big arms around me and played with my hair.

"I love you," I mumbled.

Dimitri kissed my lips before answering me. "I love you too, Rose."

Lana's little head popped up off the floor and looked at us with a look that had disgust and happiness in it.

"Look, Levi! Mommy and Daddy are kissing!" she squealed.

Levi looked at us and grabbed his sister's hand. "Run while they aren't looking!" He ordered with a mischievous look in his eyes.

Dimitri and I laughed but let them run from the room. When they left, Dimitri looked up at me and moved in to kiss me again. Our lips were so close to touching, they were so close, I breathed in his scent and closed my eyes as our lips tou-

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

I jumped in the air as my alarm clock's alarm woke me up from the best dream that I have ever had in centuries. I hit the button to turn of the alarm and fell out of bed. I went to the shower and turned on the water. I hopped in and let the heat and the water pressure work out the knots in my back and shoulders. The feelings and happiness from the dream still fogged up my mind.

My emotions filled my body up with shakes and tears. I craved the sound of my children's laughter, I needed the feeling of Dimitri's arms around me securely as we watched our children. Our children.

Tears fell from my eyes at will. They flowed and didn't show any signs of stopping. I let myself cry until I was for sure that I was going to be late for work and got out of the shower. I put on enough make-up to cover my puffy eyes and dressed in a pair of black slacks, a purple wrap blouse, and black heels. I pinned my hair up and left after I grabbed my bags.

I walked to my office while looking at my phone. I found that if you act like you were looking at something like a phone or a packet of paper, no one will talk to you. I locked myself in my office and immediately sat down behind my desk. I folded my hands under my chin and I stared out the window.

As I watched downtown Manhattan, I thought about my options. I could take Hades' offer and become mortal and have the life that I just dreamt about, or I could stay in this state of immortal humanity without a single way of becoming a mother to two adorable children. The only thing that was puzzling me was how could I have either without Dimitri beside me? If I became mortal, Dimitri will still be an Angel and I couldn't get to him to have my perfect family. If I stay immortal, chances are that I will spend eternity alone without him.

After more thinking and turning things over in my head, I came to a conclusion. I knew what I was going to do.

I picked up my office phone and checked the time. 10:12. Lissa would be at the television station for another hour or so and wouldn't be able to talk. I called anyway. After a few rings, I heard Lissa's perky voice.

"Hi! You have reached Vasalisa's phone. I can't answer your call right now but leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"

I waited for the beep and started my message.

"Hey Liss, it's Rose. I'm taking a couple days off and going out of town to see an old friend. I know it's kind of a snap decision but I think it's the right one for me right now. I'll talk to you when I leave tomorrow morning and I'll call you when I get back. Hopefully I can get out of this rut that I have been stuck in for a while. I love you, bye."

I hung up and prepared myself for calling the God that had given me the option that I have chosen.